


Forgiving the Shadows

by CynicalMistrust



Series: Putting the Pieces Back in Their Places [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-24 19:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20020063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalMistrust/pseuds/CynicalMistrust
Summary: She couldn’t deny that there was something between them, even if they weren’t “together”. The thought of either of them beingwithsomeone, much less each other, was like imagining her baby brother with a wolverine. She cringed and buried her face in her knees with a groan.





	1. Chapter 1

Aqua sat on the roof, watching the sunset with her knees pulled to her chest. She let out a slow sigh, sorting through the guilt and relief and lingering doubt and anger plaguing her.  


The fact Ven and Vanitas had returned was the only thing keeping her from plunging into one portal after another in search of them. No one seemed to know what had happened, but Ven at least seemed more like himself during dinner, even if he and Vanitas had immediately disappeared back into their room.

_ Their  _ room.

She couldn’t deny that there was something between them, even if they weren’t “together”. The thought of either of them being  _with_ someone, much less each other, was like imagining her baby brother with a wolverine. She cringed and buried her face in her knees with a groan.  


The sound of the door opening behind her made her lift her head.  


Terra settled beside her, offering a cup of hot chocolate as was their usual. Between her recovering from her years in the Darkness, and Terra recovering from years under Xehanort’s control, neither of them got much sleep. They’d taken to sitting together most nights and watching the sunrise. “You’re out here early tonight.”

Aqua smiled faintly and took the cup, wrapping her fingers around the warmth. “I think I fucked up.”

“You think?” Terra asked, eyeing her with a raised eyebrow.

She sighed and leaned into his shoulder. “I know I did.” She took a sip of the hot chocolate. She’d called Vanitas poison of all things, and the hurt and rage in his eyes in response to that still haunted her. “It’s just… Vanitas…”

Terra reached up to flick her nose. “He’s not that bad, you know. If you’d give him a chance.”

“Right,” she muttered.

“Really,” Terra said with a laugh. “He’s more of a shit than Ven is at his worst, but... he’s actually pretty decent otherwise.”

Aqua frowned into her cup. “Despite trying to kill us?” she asked softly.

Terra sighed and lightly shrugged the shoulder beneath her head. “So did I.”

“That’s different. You were being controlled.”

“And he wasn’t?” Terra tapped his finger against his own cup. “He’s told me a little about how he was… made, I guess. He’s only ever known vengeance and hatred and darkness until now.”

Aqua winced; she’d never really given much thought to how Vanitas came to be. Considering how out of sorts and easily Ven obeyed simple orders when he’d first come to them, it was almost too easy to see how Vanitas could have been turned to the darkness from the start. “Maybe I shouldn’t have called him poison.”

“Aqua…” The way Terra said her name made it clear he didn’t approve and only made the guilt worse. “Why are you so determined to hate him?”

“I don’t know. It just… it feels like he’s taking Ven away from us.” Ven had been spending more and more time with Vanitas, especially after Vanitas’ experiment with the Unversed. They’d nearly been inseparable most days. She’d already lost Ven and Terra both and had just gotten them back. She couldn’t lose either one of them again. “I don’t want to watch Vanitas corrupt him.”

Terra was silent a few moments as the last of the sunlight faded. "I think it's more like Ven is saving him," he finally said. "And Ven isn't going anywhere unless we push him away. He knows we'd just drag him back."  


Aqua didn't have to try too hard to force a smile, leaning harder into Terra's side and pressing her face into his shoulder. She'd missed this the most; having someone to lean on and confide in.  


She'd have to talk to Vanitas soon and apologize, though she doubted he'd forgive her. Maybe she should join him and Terra on a morning run, but she didn't want to intrude.  


She lifted her head and nudged her leg against Terra's. "How're you doing?"  


Terra shrugged. "I dunno… It all still kinda feels like a dream, you know?"  


"Yeah…" Even if it had been a few months since Riku and Sora rescued her, sometimes it felt like she was still walking aimlessly through the darkness. Especially at night.  


She reached for Terra's hand and squeezed. "It's not though. This is real."  


Terra squeezed back and let out a long breath. "I keep telling myself that. Maybe one day I'll actually believe it," he said with a soft laugh.  


They fell silent as they finished their drinks, finally heading back inside when true night set in.  


Aqua still wasn’t tired, she rarely was, but settling into bed sounded more inviting than it had earlier. They dropped their cups off in the kitchen, and only when they reached the top of the stairs did she realize they were still holding hands. She hesitated in front of their rooms. They’d shared a bed before - the three of them had even piled into one bed when they were all finally back together again, lying awake and soaking up each others’ warmth the entire night - but she hated asking. Terra would probably agree even if he’d prefer solitude, and she was trying not to force her desires on others.  


“Night,” she finally said, squeezing Terra’s fingers before letting go.  


Terra caught her fingers before she pulled away.

She glanced up in surprise, tilting her head when Terra stared at the wall, a touch of pink in his cheeks.  


“Do you wanna come in?” he finally asked, tilting his head to briefly meet her eyes.

Aqua smiled and slid her fingers between his. “Okay,” she said, letting Terra tug her into his room.  


It was as much of a mess as it had been while they were still training with Eraqus. Clothes strewn across the floor and dresser, and bed unmade. She was just thankful that unique scent of unwashed man socks didn’t permeate the room. Terra had gotten better about doing his laundry, though she suspected Kairi badgering all of them at least twice a week had more to do with that than anything.

They kicked off their shoes by the door and settled next to each other in bed. It didn’t take long before Aqua was pressed into Terra’s side, head resting on Terra’s chest as his fingers ran through her hair. Silence filled the space between them, and she was drifting towards sleep when Terra spoke.

“You should talk to Ven.”

Aqua sighed. “I know.”

“And Vanitas.”

“I will,” she said, not bothering to stifle her groan. 

She just hoped Vanitas didn’t try to gut her on sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo this was way harder to write than it should have been lol I never write female POVs, so... sorry?

Aqua spent the morning with Kairi, making a list of stuff for the boys to pick up from the Islands. The season there was apparently the best for swimming right now, and Riku and Sora had spent the night on the beach more than once the past few weeks. After, she headed out to the park for a walk and found Ven and Vanitas sparring.

She wasn’t sure if it was a stroke of luck or Fate that she found both Ven and Vanitas together. They’d shown up for breakfast before heading out, and Aqua had resisted following when they’d seemed in a hurry.

She stopped several feet away, curious to see how well Ven stood up to Vanitas. 

It only took a minute to see Ven was sorely outmatched, but Vanitas made no effort to disarm Ven or take him down. Instead, he seemed to be... coaching Ven. Every few attacks, Vanitas would shift and smack his Keyblade against Ven’s weakest spot before stepping back with a smirk. 

If she’d needed a clear indication that Vanitas might actually be _decent,_ that was it. Vanitas could have easily hurt or done lasting damage to Ven a hundred times over, but he didn’t. He actually looked like he was having fun.

After a few rounds, Ven apparently had enough and lunged at Vanitas, their Keyblades vanishing in flashes of light as they hit the ground.

Aqua crossed her arms, drifting closer as she watched them wrestle.

It wasn't long before Vanitas pinned Ven beneath himself with a loud shout of triumph, leaning down and murmuring something too low for Aqua to hear.

Ven laughed and punched at Vanitas’ shoulder.

Vanitas retaliated by pinning Ven’s wrists beside his head, and both their expressions immediately shifted. Vanitas lowered his head, resting his forehead against Ven’s. 

Aqua caught the soft look in Ven’s eyes before she glanced away and cleared her throat.

“Aqua!” Ven said. “Hey.”

She looked back in time to see Ven shove Vanitas off him as he sat up, not missing the scowl from where Vanitas was sprawled on the ground. 

“What do you want?” Vanitas asked, sitting up behind Ven and draping an arm over his shoulder. 

Ven made a face and elbowed Vanitas. “Be nice.”

“Make me.”

Aqua raised an eyebrow and stood in front of them a moment before sitting. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, clasping her hands together in her lap. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. To both of you.”

Ven blinked and tilted his head. 

“I shouldn’t have doubted you,” she continued. “Either of you. I’ve been a shitty friend. I just didn’t want to see you hurt.”

Vanitas sneered. “You hurt him more than I did,” he said, making Aqua wince. He grunted as Ven elbowed him again. “It’s the truth, you dick.”

Ven sighed. “That doesn’t mean you can just _say_ it.” He looked at Aqua, leaning forward to place his hand over both of hers. “I know you were trying to protect me... But Vanitas is here to stay, so could you both please get along?”

Aqua smiled faintly and clasped Ven’s hand between her own. “I think that depends,” she said, looking to Vanitas. “Can we?”

Vanitas scowled at them both, lifting his arm from Ven’s shoulder and shoving at Ven with a hand to the back of his head. “If you can deal with the fact Ven and I are sleeping together, fine.”

Ven turned red and made a strangled sound, turning a horrified look on Vanitas. “We’re _not!_ ”

Vanitas smirked. “Yet.”

Aqua closed her eyes and reached for patience and an image that didn’t involve Ven in bed with Vanitas. Terra. Terra was a good image to focus on. Especially when he was just waking up and his hair was a mess, with pillow lines on his face. “Fine,” she said, clearing her throat when her voice came out strangled. “Fine. You’re together. I get it.” She rolled her eyes. “You suit each other,” she added dryly.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Ven asked.

Aqua smiled. “It means I trust you to keep Vanitas on his toes and for Vanitas not to hurt you.” She got to her feet and brushed her legs off. She looked between the two of them, tilting her head as she noticed they looked... different. Ven had always had a look in his eyes, especially when he thought no one was watching him, that made him look forlorn. But that was gone, replaced with something bright and eager. Vanitas' manic gleam had faded into something closer to Axel's condescension.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said, turning to leave.

“Pretty sure I only do things you wouldn’t do,” Vanitas replied.

“You’re insufferable,” Ven said with a laugh.

Aqua didn’t need to look back to know they were already wrestling again, rolling her eyes as Ven yelled ‘No fair!’

She headed inside and passed by the kitchen. It was late enough for Terra to have finished his training, but he apparently hadn’t made it to lunch yet. She turned and headed upstairs instead, finding him just coming out of his room.

His hair was still wet from his shower and he was in the middle of pulling his shirt on, giving a brief glimpse of his abs and stomach. He ran his fingers through his hair, grinning when he spotted her. “Hey.”

Aqua smiled, stepping in close to Terra and standing on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Hey.”

Terra blinked at her, pink staining his cheeks as he rested a hand on the small of her back. “What was that for?”

“I don’t know.” She was feeling oddly sentimental after seeing Ven and Vanitas together. She knew there was a chance for something between her and Terra, but they’d never had the time or the courage to explore anything beyond friends. She didn’t want to wait to see if another war or disaster would happen that would rip them apart before they did, either. Everyone else seemed to be settling in and enjoying the relative peace while they had the chance. Why shouldn’t they?

“Spend the day with me?” she asked.

Terra nodded. “Always.”

Aqua shivered at the easy response and leaned into Terra’s chest, breathing in the clean scent of his skin and lingering smell of soap. “I talked with Ven,” she said without pulling away. “And Vanitas.”

“And?” he asked, wrapping both arms around Aqua’s back.

“You’re right. They’re both little shits.” She smiled as Terra laughed, lifting her head to look up at him. “But they suit each other.”

Terra grinned. “Told you. Vanitas is a decent guy if you give him the chance.”

“Mmm.” Aqua straightened and pressed her palms lightly against Terra’s stomach. “You know who else suits each other…”

“Who?”

Her heart rate picked as she took a breath. “Us?” She glanced up when Terra didn’t respond, finding him watching her with wide eyes. She hoped that was just a reaction of surprise and not him trying to figure out how to let her down. “No?” 

“No! I mean - yes!” Terra swore softly under his breath and pressed a hand to his face. “I mean... Yes. We suit each other.” 

Aqua bit back a laugh, part of it from relief and the rest from how flustered Terra was. “Oh, good. I was worried you might be gay like everyone else around here,” she teased.

Terra snorted. “Well, Ienzo is pretty attractive,” he said, laughing when Aqua pinched his side. “Riku, too. Really, just about every guy here is ten times hotter than me. Good thing they’re all gay or in a relationship already.”

Aqua rolled her eyes before blinking. “Ienzo is dating someone?” She didn’t wait for a response before pinching Terra again. “And they are not hotter than you,” she said, feeling her cheeks warm.

Terra’s cheeks darkened and he swallowed. “Are you coming on to me?”

She scoffed. “Have been for awhile. Thanks for noticing.” She shook her head with a soft laugh, resting her forehead against Terra’s chest. When Terra ran his fingers through her hair, she melted into him with a sigh. 

Then Terra’s stomach ruined the moment by growling. 

Aqua pulled away with a shake of her head, hooking her arm through Terra’s as they headed to the kitchen. 

Terra was halfway through putting a sandwich together when he looked up. “Sooo... does this mean you’ll sleep with me every night?” 

Aqua would have dropped the knife if Terra’s hesitant start to that question hadn’t prepared her for something embarrassing to come out of his mouth. “So long as your room doesn’t smell,” she replied, looking up with a sweet smile.

Terra frowned. “My room doesn’t smell.”

“Well, not _now_ ,” she said, laughing when he threw a piece of lettuce at her. She retaliated by throwing a carrot at him. It would have devolved into a food fight, if they weren’t more mature than the rest of them. And if Xion hadn’t come through with Roxas to make their own sandwiches. 

They took their lunch to their usual spot on the roof, eating in companionable silence. When they were finished, Terra stretched out and put his head in Aqua’s lap, looking up at her with a smile. “This okay?”

“Mmhmm,” she replied, resting her hands beside her, but she only lasted a few moments before she was running her fingers through his still-damp hair. 

Terra closed his eyes with a sigh. “Mm. No wonder you like when I do that.”

Aqua laughed and tilted her head as she watched his face. The faint crease between his brows from always looking so serious eased away, and his entire body grew a bit heavier as he relaxed. 

“Would you wanna go somewhere?” Terra asked after a long stretch of silence. “Just the two of us?”

She smiled. “Are you asking me on a date?” 

“Mmhmmm,” he replied, cracking an eye open to look at her. “Let’s go be pirates.” 

Aqua laughed. “You would make a terrible pirate.”

“Arrrr! Shiver me timbers!”

She laughed harder and clamped her hand over Terra’s mouth. “You’ll have to get Riku to teach you,” she said, clutching at her stomach with her other arm as she tried to stop laughing.

Terra tugged her hand away. “Avast, ye landlubber! I spot a mighty booty on the horizon!”

Aqua covered her face with both hands, tears of laughter blurring her vision. She hardly noticed Terra sitting up until she toppled to her back, her laughs stuttering as she looked up.

Terra leaned over her with a grin, mirth shining in his eyes. “Admit it. I’d make a great pirate.”

She snorted and hooked her arms around his neck, enjoying the surprise that flickered in his expression. “Fine. You’d make a great pirate. Until Captain Jack tossed you overboard,” she replied, leaning up to kiss his nose.

Terra blinked, a faint flush coloring his cheeks as he glanced briefly at Aqua’s lips. “I’d really like to kiss you right now, despite you being rude.”

Aqua bit back the automatic response of ‘the truth hurts’ and curled her fingers into his hair. “Okay,” she said softly. 

Terra hesitated, moving his arm to rest next to her head before leaning down.

Her breath caught as he moved closer, her fingers curling tighter in his hair. She closed her eyes as their lips touched, little more than a brush of lips. Then another. The third time, he lingered with a gentle pressure, before resting his forehead against hers.

Aqua hesitantly blinked her eyes open, looking up to Terra watching her with a smile. “That was nice,” she said softly, moving her hand to brush her thumb against his cheek, before stroking through his hair from temple to neck.

“We should do it again sometime,” he said, voice just as soft.

“How about now?” she offered.

Terra flushed, hesitating a moment before he shifted to stretch out beside her.

Aqua shivered as he pulled her into his chest, and then she didn’t have much to think about except how nice it was to make out.


End file.
